Vegetarian Stuffed Shells (without ricotta)
Vegetarian stuffed shells; made with roasted peppers, carrots, cauliflower, and spinach in a cheesy red sauce! No ricotta cheese is needed for the filling. Just lots of roasted veggies and fresh herbs for bright flavor!
Servings 6
Calories 335kcal
Ingredients
- 18 Jumbo shells add some extra in just in case some break or tear while cooking
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 carrots cut into 1 inch thick sticks
- 1/2 head of cauliflower or 1 1/2 cups
- 12 baby bell peppers or two bell peppers
- 1 1/2 cups spinach
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 3 cups marinara divided
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese divided
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Roast veggies: arrange baby bell peppers, cauliflower florets, and carrot sticks on a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and toss. Then roast vegetables for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, cook pasta as the packaging instructs until "al dente". When the pasta is finished, drain and add back to pot with a litte bit of cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Saute spinach: in a separate pan, saute minced garlic and spinach until the spinach is wilted (about 2-4 minutes).
- Chop veggies: when roasted vegetables are done, remove stems from peppers and transfer veggies to a cutting board. Chop into small pieces.
- Mix together veggie filling: in a bowl, mix together chopped roasted vegetables, spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/2 cup marinara, and chopped basil and oregano.
- Stuff the shells: Use a spoon to stuff each shell with the filling, and place in a baking dish with 2 cups of sauce. Arrange stuffed shells over sauce, and repeat until filling and shells are used up.
- Bake: Top the shells with remaining marinara, mozzarella, and remaining parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve!
Notes
Types of marinara to use - choosing a quality marinara is key for flavor! Save time and use my favorite store-bought marinara. If you'd like to make your own sauce try our San Marzano tomato sauce or this spicy arrabbiata sauce!
More veggies you can use - want to mix things up? Try stuffing the shells with roasted eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, or use kale instead of spinach.
Additional cheese options - you can also top these stuffed shells with fontina cheese, gruyere, or cheddar cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 3stuffed shells | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.2g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 14.9mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Sugar: 13.6g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 117mg